1. Chapter 3. GIS Decision Support Methods and Workflow
Dr. Ahmad BinTouq
URL:
GEOG440: GIS and Urban Planning

2. Overview Chapter. 3 1.Overview of GIS Capabilities
Geocoding Tools,
Data Management Tools
Map Visualization Tools
Feature Analysis Tools
Grid Analysis Tools
Network Analysis Tools
2.Workflow in GIS Projects
Basic Workflow
Nuanced Workflow
Synthesizing Basic
3.Summary and Review Questions

3. GIS Capabilities
- GIS is known for its ability to integrate various types of data to address complex decision problems.
- Difference between a GIS project and a community improvement project.
For example, a wastewater treatment facility is a community improvement project, but the process of sitting such a project, as presented in the case study, provides a step-by-step method for undertaking a GIS project.
Example

4. Surface water
Biotic life
Soil
Water
Legality
Dumping site
Environment
Groundwater
Economy
Atmosphere

5. GIS Capabilities
GIS is a special information technology because it integrates capabilities from three fundamental technologies—
Data management capabilities
Spatial analysis capabilities
Map visualization capabilities

6. Geographical objects Rivers District Landuse Topography Soil type
Utility
Rivers
Roads
District
Lots

7. Data collection Geology, Groundwater Rivers, Coastal line
Spatial + Attribute data
Geology, Groundwater
Rivers, Coastal line
Soil, Land use
Airport, Roads
Settlements, Hotels

8. Steps for data preparation
Digitization under
AutoCad
Transform to real
coordinate
Import to ArcMap
Create topology
Build and Clean
Check feature
accuracy
Geographic database
ArcMap-
shape files
Geographic analysis
Add attribute data

9. Perform spatial operations
Feature extraction from a GIS database (Reselect)
Map overlay (Intersect, Union, Mapjoin)
Proximity searches (Buffering)

10. Workflow Four phases Six phases Seven phases
GIS workflows—simple, nuanced, and combined—
to show that any two workflows, when compared, can generate at least one more workflow that perhaps might be more informed.
Simple workflow (comprising four phases) is good enough to learn the basics of GIS.
Four phases
Another workflow that has shown considerable success in addressing complex landscape planning problems introduced by Steinitz (1990).
Each phase is a special modelling step.
Six phases
Third workflow is a synthesis of the other two, resulting in a seven-phase workflow.
The main point is not simply to develop one more workflow, but to show that workflows can often take on emergent qualities to address special nuances of decision problems.
Seven phases

11. Basic Workflow for a GIS Project
This simplified workflow method assumes that a decision
problem can be solved by a single pass through a workflow, with limited testing of assumptions in each of four phases:
Identify project objectives,
Develop the database,
(3) Perform analysis, and
(4) Report the results.
It is useful and instructive because of the simplifying assumptions regarding water flow process and impacts, for example, land use, transportation, and/or water resource movement, over space and time.

12. The flow chart outlines the solar energy station siting model that would be performed in this research project:

13. Example Project Steps Layer 1: Lake Layer 2: Forest Layer 3:
Soil Drainage
Spread
Recode
Recode
Layer 4:
Loggable
Species
Layer 5:
Drained Soils
Layer 6:
Near Lake
Recode
Recode
Layer 7:
Away From
Lake
Layer 8:
Species And
Soils
OverLay
Layer 9:
Loggable
Sites

14. 3.2 Workflow in GI S Projects
Suitable zones
User interaction
Reselect
Geology
Land use
Soil
Rainfall
Buffer
Roads
Rivers
Intersect
suitable zones
for each factor
The best zones

15. Chapter. 3 Summary (1) describing many of the general capabilities
of software and the ways these capabilities address decision problems, and
(2) presenting
different GIS workflows that make use of capabilities.
Projects is in terms of how communities want to plan, program, and implement land use, transportation, and/or water resource activities to restore, redevelop, or otherwise improve quality of life.
Projects is in terms of how we make use of GIS in a decision situation—the so-called GIS project. GIS analysts undertake GIS projects, working with data to address community concerns about community projects.